Candle lighting
We light this candle as a people of faith,
Remembering that we find belonging in family and in community.
May the burning flame remind us that, in this virtual space, as we join together to worship God
All are welcome;
All are bearers of God’s light;
Everyone and everything belongs here.
Opening responses
God of grace, as we enter into this gathering
help us to put away the shoulds and the ought tos,
help us to be present as we are,
courageously, honestly, imperfectly.
May we learn together to trust in you and in one another, so that we may grow to be a community of compassion and welcoming.
We bring all that we are and all that we yet can be,
to this safe and holy space.
Reading Scripture Together
Thoughts and prompts
There are three movements in this passage.
The first is noticing and judging – the pharisees notice and compare the behaviour of the disciples with their own behaviour. They speak up and ask a question. There’s nothing inherently wrong in this behaviour – noticing difference and asking a question is a great way to discover, explore, deepen understanding and connection. The problem is in the lack. The Pharisees find the disciples behaviour lacking, but they lack humility here, which they do not see. Instead, they see their behaviour as the gold standard and look down on anyone who doesn’t measure up.
In my experience this kind of thing starts as “I wouldn’t do that”, and then moves to ” I would NEVER do that” and from there it is no distance at all to “What kind of person does that??”
So they set themselves up as models and then ask the rule breakers for an explanation.
The second movement is Jesus’ response, which is neither a defense nor explanation, but rather it reframes the whole issue so that it isn’t about doing the right thing, but about integrity of motivation and action. The inside and the outside have to match and be in harmony before doing the right thing is truly right.
If there isn’t integrity of motivation (inside) with action (outside) then there is hypocrisy, possibly enabled by self-deceit and/or mindless compliance.
Did the Pharisees intentionally follow the rules and then, like a canny accountant or tax consultant use the rules to find loopholes to their own benefit?
Is obeying the rules without understanding the intention and values behind the rules actually missing the point?
The third movement is Jesus’ teaching to the crowd where he draws their attention to the human tendency to focus on the appearance of religious observance and a rather unhelpful attention on bodily functions and religious purity (please note this is not the same thing as simple hygiene).
Jesus’ saying about from the human heart comes all manner of evils is open to many interpretations.
Worth noting though is that the list of undesirables is so varied – pride, envy and folly rank alongside murder, fornication and adultery. What does that say to you?
Also for context, it is worth considering the many, many lives being lived out in the midst of dire and dreadful conditions. This saying speaks to those whose story is of abuse, neglect, violence, addiction, abandonment – and it says “this is not what defines a life, a heart, a being.” What you bring forth is what matters, not what is done to you.
Lastly, it is easy to conclude from this saying that human beings are, essentially, without a single good impulse. In this saying, the human heart (in the Jewish tradition, the place where wisdom, discernment and insight intersect) brings forth a multitude of evils and only evil. There is no mention of goodness within the heart here.
I would say, then, that it is worth exploring what you believe about being human.
I would say, too, that it’s worth remembering that in another saying, Jesus also used the illustration of an ordinary parent, who knows how to give good things to their child as an example of how good God is – like an ordinary parent, but more.
And I would say that we also need to remember the origin of all life: created by the will of God; created with a will-to-God, a restlessness and a longing for God.
This will-to-God is of God, and it is the seed in us that reaches for light whatever else may happen.
Whatever else may emerge from within, this also is in us, every one of us, and cannot be broken or even touched by us because it is God’s gift – it is God, given.
Breakout room conversations
- If you spent time with this passage over the week, what has been speaking to you?
- Which of the three movements is alive for you today? – noticing lack in others and judging/integrity of inner motivation and outer action/the contents of the human heart – what is striking or puzzling or delightful? How does it connect with your life?
- What does this passage ask of you beyond thinking and talking? What is one thing you can do in your daily life to move towards that?
Prayers of the people
Blessing
May you move into the days and weeks to come with gentleness,
Humble and knowing your worth.
May you know and grow stillness and peace within,
so you may bring stillness and peace without.
May your words be in harmony with the Christ light
present in the depths of your being,
and may your life speak of integrity and bear the fruit of love.
In the name of the creator, redeemer and giver of life, Amen.
